MISCELLANY. 
Onthe constituents of Canella Alba, By Meyers and Reiche. — This 
bark contains about eight per cent, of mannite, which may be readily 
separated from the aqueous bitter extract by means of alcohol. Starch 
and many salts remain undissolved. The ashes of the bark amount to 
6 per cent., and contain 86 per cent, of carbonate of lime, 4 per cent, of 
potash, and 1.2 per cent, of soda, a small portion of magnesia, peroxide 
of iron, protoxide of manganese, alumina, chlorine, sulphuric and phos- 
phoric acids, and silica. The most interesting constituent is the volatile 
oil, 12 drachms of which were obtained by the distillation of lOlbs of 
bark. This oil is specifically lighter than water, but a portion of it is ob- 
served to sink. If the crude oil be shaken together with a solution of 
potash, diluted with water and subjected to distillation, a light oil passes 
over first, and subsequently a heavier one. The heavy oil has a pe- 
culiar odour, does not enter into combination with potash, and contains 
73.7 carbon, 10.7 hydrogen, and 15.6 oxygen. On filtering the solution 
of potash from which the oil was distilled, neutralizing it with dilute 
sulphuric acid, and again subjecting it to distillation, a small quantity 
of the heavy oil passed over, and was readily recognised by the peculiar 
odour, analogous to that of the oil of cloves. The light oil, which con- 
stitutes the chief bulk of the volatile oil, resembles the oil of cajeputi in 
odour. It was distilled in separate portions. The oil which passed 
over at 356° Fahr., contained 75.25 carbon, 11.28 hydrogen, and 13.46 
oxygen. A portion distilled slowly at 326° Fahr., yielded 79.12—79.09 
carbon, 12.58 — 11.71 hydrogen. Finally, the portion which passed 
over at last, bore the most striking resemblance to the oil of cajeputi, 
boiled at 473° Fahr. and had a specific weight=0. 941, contained 80.56 — 
80.52 carbon, and 10.66 — 10.88 hydrogen. — Lond, Pharm. Journ. from 
JLnnalen der Chemie und Pharmacie. 
On the volatile oil of Pinus Mies. (Norway Spruce Fir.) By Gotts- 
chalk.— It is a well-known fact that a forest of Norway spruce fir-trees 
by no means diffuses the odour of the oil of turpentine, nor has any one 
yet succeeded in obtaining resin artificially from that oil. The tree conr 
tains, perhaps, an oil differing from, but capable of being converted into, 
the oil of turpentine ; it is also probable that the stem of the tree and 
its root contain different oils. Gottschalk, on Wohler's suggestion, dis- 
